Ninja High School

Toronto-based Ninja High School, self-described as "a positive hardcore dance-rap band," were founded by Matt Collins, an art school dropout and former member of the group Currently in These United States, reportedly after he heard a Crazy Town song on the radio (probably that one-hit wonder's one hit, 2001's "Butterfly") and thought, "This sucks! I can do better than this!" Initially, the band consisted only of Collins, who recorded an EP, We Win!, as Ninja High School and got it released by the Toronto-based label Blocks Recording Club, run by Steven Kado (formerly of the Hidden Cameras), in 2004. Then, Collins expanded the group to include Kado, his "blood relative" Gregory Collins, Star DT, and Wolfgang Nessel. This unit recorded a 7" vinyl single, "By Purpose, Not by Plan"/"It's All Right to Fight," released by Tomlab Records in the spring of 2005. Tomlab then formally signed Ninja High School for their first full-length album, Young Adults Against Suicide, released on October 18, 2005 in Europe and November 15, 2005 in the U.S., by which time Nessel, along with Peter Thorne, Craig Dunsmuir, and Slavoj Ižek, were being described on the band's website as "past/peripheral/spiritual members," and Anna Cvitkovic and Adrian Cvitkovic as existing members in addition to Matt Collins, Gregory Collins, Kado, and Star DT. Ninja High School disbanded in 2007, performing their last live show in Toronto during December of that year. ~ William Ruhlmann